


Underwater Sun

by whatkindofblackmagicfuckeryisthis



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Do you think everyone can be a good person, F/F, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route, Selectively Mute Frisk (Undertale), Social Anxiety, Trust, War, if they just tried?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:53:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 12,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24591865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whatkindofblackmagicfuckeryisthis/pseuds/whatkindofblackmagicfuckeryisthis
Summary: “What are you thinking about?”“Beginnings and endings. Life just seems to repeat itself, don’t you think? It’s an endless cycle of happiness and melancholy, companionship and loneliness, harmony and dissonance.But the most important thing is, that it keeps moving on. You just have to hang in there, trusting that everything will turn out alright.”Alice, a medical student, lives a good life. The sun rises and sets at the same rhythm as she learns and grows to become the best version of herself. It’s a slow, but calm and rewarding process.One fateful night, her whole world turns upside down as she witnesses a disturbing and distressing event. Feeling obligated to follow her moral compass, she leaves her city with a friend and travels west to the Monster Settlement to uncover the truths about these strange new creatures that appeared one year ago.
Relationships: Alphys/Undyne (Undertale), Original Character(s)/Original Character(s)
Kudos: 1





	1. Prologue

The night had fallen over the monster settlement.  
Asgore sat in front of the counsel, a grave tone in his voice.  
“This is the third monster gone missing. A teenager from the southern district, last seen yesterday wandering around his neighborhood.”  
A moment of silence followed, all eyes turned to the ground.  
The royal scientist spoke up, hesitant,  
“Sh-shouldn’t we inform the humans about this?”  
“Alph, we know they’re the ones behind everything. We can’t trust them”, replied gently Undyne.  
Toriel sighed and stood up, attracting everyone’s attention.

“We don’t know that yet, Undyne.  
However seeking the humans’ help seems like a bad idea for now, Alphys, considering how strained our relation with them is.  
It’s becoming critical. We can’t just stand here and ignore this. For now, I propose we continue investigating the disappearings and make sure the situation doesn’t worsen.  
Alphys, review the tapes and keep on searching for potential suspects. Also, it would be wise to build more surveillance cameras, we need to have more visuals on our city.  
Undyne, you will tighten the security and keep a good eye on any suspicious activity, particularly near the borders.  
Mettaton, warn the population. Citizens need to be careful, we’re not taking any risks.”

They all nodded at her orders.  
Near the back of the room, Sans was gazing down at the busy streets, his head wearily resting against the glass. Frisk was beside him, their eyes following the neon veins running through the city buildings.

Miles away, a young woman slept peacefully, unbeknownst that a long adventure was at her doorstep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a tale about friendship, morality and trust.  
> It’s my first and probably only fic too.  
> Ut tackles so many interesting concepts, it inspired me. I had thoughts and ideas I wanted to lay down, and it became this.  
> I want to add that I am not from a English speaking country, so if you see any mistakes in my writing or in the way the school system is presented, or anything else, my bad.  
> Also, writing and literature in general really are the bane of my existence, so why am I doing this, I-  
> NB: each chapter is linked to a song I got inspired by (you probably noticed the title itself comes from a song). So if you want, I recommend listening to it while reading.  
> Peace out


	2. A Story’s Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sidewalks and Skeletons-Underwater Sun  
> https://youtu.be/gmd-EQotX70

A light rain washed over the buzzing city. Sunbeams pierced through the clouds and bathed the tall buildings and streets in a dreamy soft light, creating a serene and calming atmosphere. Trees displayed a vibrant green, as spring was just starting to settle. People were leisurely coming back from work, tired but content.  
Sometimes, it felt like even when the world was slowly spiraling down into hell, this place stood like a safe haven, untouched by the chaos and distortion of today’s era.  
Persons here were tranquil yet not ignorant, caring but not naive; while they didn’t strive to become heroes and change the world, they did it by being decent human beings, living honorably and respectfully.

Maybe some would call it boring, but I preferred calling it peaceful.

I put my pencil down and sighed at my still very blank paperwork.  
Physics and science in general weren’t much of a hassle for me, but literature was the bane of my existence. Why would you even need it in medical studies, I still wondered.  
The week felt long and tiring between courses, preparing for midterms, and social interaction. Let’s call it a day.

I grasped my hooded jacket and keys, while slipping into my leather combat boots. My steps echoed in the dim lit staircase as I headed out to buy food for dinner.  
I lived in a small building jammed between an asian buffet and work offices, overlooking a narrow alley near the city center. The restaurant decorated the passage with colored fairy lights and tall plants, so it looked quite cozy and nice. I waved at a waiter I knew through the window and turned around the corner.

Life wasn’t perfect here but it was alright. I liked the independence university meant. Family may be far but that’s what friends are for, and I was slowly getting closer to my goal of becoming a doctor. So far, so good.

I grabbed a few groceries at the local super market and while the cashier, a black haired teen with bored blue eyes, registered them, I distractingly listened to the radio sputtering out some new infos about monsters’ integration into human society. 

When they came out of the mountain about a year ago, the world went straight up berserk. Stories and rumors spread like wild fire: people talked about unearthly creatures and horned demons resurfacing from the depths of our past, coming to seek blood and revenge; people prayed and predicted the end of times. Others saw in them a new hope, a new world to be discovered. It sparked that flame of wonder and dreams inside of cynical men, back to life: the boundaries of reality were collapsing, who knew what laid beyond? Some fled, some ran to see them and some waited to see what’s next.  
I remembered watching everything unravel in front of the tv late at night. It really was exciting, until I realized it was past 4am and university wouldn’t be cancelled for anything in the world, even this. 

Ultimately, things settled down, like they always did. Having only expressed pacific interests so far, treaties were signed and laws were created. They were given a small territory to occupy, giving birth to the Monster settlement.

There was still a lot of tension, and trust had to be earned from both sides.  
To this date, we honestly still didn’t know much about this new people.


	3. Intersections

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Puddle of Infinity-Grass  
> https://youtu.be/bqAbt549bI8

“I don’t know, I thought it’d seemed just weird to come say hi after basically following him for the last five minutes! So I stood there behind him like an idiot, waiting for the goddamn light to go green, hoping he wouldn’t turn around”  
“Let me guess. He did”  
“No, worse. I slipped on fucking air. I flied dude”  
I laughed along the others. Clara went on with exuberance,  
“I fumbled my way back on my feet like a drunk, just in time for Maxim to turn around and see me standing stupidly in the middle of the street. Because he’s so cool, he asked me if I was okay. Of course, my smart ass thought the situation was already awkward enough so I replied I was alright, despite my left foot torturing me.  
That’s how I found myself walking a mile with him to uni with a twisted ankle”  
Lee smirked,  
“Was it worth it?”  
Clara barked a laugh and loudly uttered,  
“Of course!”

I sipped my soda in contentment, listening to my old high school friends’ shenanigans. Reunions such as this one always made me feel warm inside, as they were people I held dearly in my heart.  
Glancing at my wristwatch, I did a double take and stood up, attracting everyone’s attention.  
“Well, it was nice seeing you all, but I gotta go guys. An one hour drive back home awaits me”  
“You can sleep here, you know”  
I smiled but declined, throwing my coat on and grabbing my bag,  
“I’m fine, Rose. I have important classes tomorrow. Good night everyone!”  
I hugged her and walked out, hearing Clara from inside the living room shouting,  
“Try not to hit any pedestrians!”

Dark woods surrounded the road which was solely lighted by my car’s yellow headlights. It was around 1am, the wind rushed in through my open windows. Despite feeling exhausted, my eyes remained steady and focused.

A faint yell suddenly echoed through the air.

I stopped the vehicle in its course and held my breath, heart pounding in my chest. Soon, I heard the voice in the distance, as if pleading out for help, before fading out once again.  
_What the fuck  
_Muttering, I nervously turned the engine off and got out of my car. My eyes scanned the area where the sounds came from, but bushy trees blocked my sight beyond a few yards. Everything was quiet, the voice gone. Somehow, that made me feel even more uneasy.  
Either this is a bad joke, or people are enjoying themselves a bit too much in there, or somebody needs serious help. I debated calling the police, however I still had no idea on what the hell was going on.  
I couldn’t take any chances when it came to people’s lives. Not knowing any better, I pulled out the torch and pepper spray I kept in my glove compartment, and entered the woods.

 _This is definitely a bad idea, Alice. What were you thinking? This is how stupid people die in horror movies.  
_Loud thoughts went back and forth through my head, contrasting with the silent trees I was walking by. A dozen minutes into the forest, I distinguished a dim light in front of me.  
I turned my torch off and approached the glow as quietly as I could, tensed. Eventually, I started hearing low voices and faint whimpers. The blood in my veins went ice cold as I got my first good look at the situation unwinding before me.

About fifty feet in front of me, two individuals, bags over their head and their arms (?) ( _too many arms_ ) tied behind their back, were sitting against a trunk, their whole bodies shivering. A young man and a middle aged woman, both dressed in black attires, were leaning into a black van and eating sandwiches, while a second man loomed threateningly over one of the captives, waving a small gun.  
“I hear one more sound coming out of your fucking mouth and I’ll kill you, you little shit”  
“No you won’t idiot”, the second man replied, his mouth full.  
“Why don’t you help me muffle it!? Someone could hear the screams”, protested angrily the other.  
“I’m not burnin’ my fingers again. You do it alone M”  
The woman, exasperated, called out,  
“Hey, Montgomery. It’s your fucking fault you wasted all the serum on the other one. How about you stop taking the piss out of the monsters and eat your food in silence?”  
He shot a deadly look at her but nonetheless backed away, mumbling insults under his breath.

I was frozen in place, my mind ran wild trying to process the situation. Still too slow. Action, I had to take action.  
I first reached for my cellphone and snapped pictures of the group. Then I proceeded to write down the registration plate of the van and as much details as I could. The more time passed, silence filling the stifling air, the more on edge I grew.  
When I deemed it was enough, I stuffed my phone back into my pocked and, as quietly as I came, turned back around to head back towards my car. Anxiously, I spared a last look behind.

One of the monster had their head turned in my direction, as if they sensed me. A soft “help” escaped their mouth. 

Montgomery suddenly snatched the bag off their head and snarled at his face,  
“WHAT DID I FUCKING SAY”  
“For fuck’s sAKE SHUT IT M”  
I stared at the monsters in shock.  
Their bright aqua eyes glistened like diamonds, as their tears rolled down the smooth navy skin of their cheeks. Their sad gaze briefly met mine before going back to their captor’s scowl, inches from their features.

At a safe distance, my feet accelerated and flew on the damp grass, as if chased. Tears were welling up in the corners of my eyes, but I didn’t let them fall, not yet. Being back in my car was a temporary relief, but as I drove to the city, my stomach in knots and my throat sore from running in the cold, I had the feeling I would not be out of these woods for a while.


	4. Solutions to our problems, and problems to our solutions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Puddles of Infinity-We Will Be  
> https://youtu.be/ZJBsOjQoLxs

“This is bad. Very very bad”  
I waited, eyes closed and my forehead resting against my palm. Jason, the young policeman who welcomed me at the early hour of 2am at the station, was sitting in front of me, my cellphone in one hand and the other massaging his temples, muttering repeatedly how fucked the situation was. After a while, he sat back and sighed,   
“So. Here’s the situation”  
I opened my tired eyes and silently encouraged him to continue.  
“Kidnappings. If it involved, well, humans, I would signal all country’s authorities without missing a beat, start a national search for the victim while tracking down the criminals. Standard procedure. It’s a terrible crime but, sadly, nothing new.  
This... is a different story”, he crossed his arms.   
He scrutinized me. His gaze seemed slightly hesitant at the words he was about to say, but he continued,  
“You know how our government stands with the monsters. We play nice and friends, until the slightest accusation transforms into a confrontation. My job, normally, would be... we were told that we should directly contact the army when it comes to monster matter”  
“... Right”  
“Listen, we can’t just bring this up without having conclusive evidences. Otherwise, those accusations will either be repressed by the authorities so they can maintain our so called peace, or it will be taken as slander and attack to our people, and who knows how that’d evolve. I can’t risk any of these outcomes. We have to be careful here, this can potentially blow in everyone’s face.”

My fingers fidgeted with the wool of the sleeve of my sweater. Many emotions whirled and crashed like heavy waves in my chest, unable to escape the barriers of my heart. The realization of what I just witnessed was finally starting to settle. I ran my shaky hand through my hair,  
“So what can we do then?”  
The policeman contemplated for a moment, before replying with conviction,  
“We can help, we’ll just have to keep it quiet. When we’ll have the culprits, the authorities won’t have another choice but face the facts, apologize to the monster community and help their cause.  
I’ll investigate with my team here. This is a serious crime, and we won’t let the victims down. We have to inform the monsters though, they must know about this”, he frowned briefly, “actually, considering they’re such a small community, they probably already know about the disappearances. And if they didn’t speak out yet, it’s either because they’re still not sure if humans are the cause, or they don’t want to engage with our government in fear of starting a conflict. Either way, it’ll be hard to gain their trust”  
I mused for a short moment.  
“I’ll go to the settlement then”  
Jason looked at me with uncertainty,  
“I-I’ve thought about it... A policeman would be suspicious at the border, and even more so in front of the monsters. And it’d give me all the hands needed for the search... But”  
He sighed,  
“You know how critical and dangerous this might be, I’m not sure if I should leave this much pressure on you”  
“I-“, I tried to steady my voice, “I want to help. Please, let me.”

I really did. Leaving the monsters back in the forest made me feel ashamed and guilty. I couldn’t get those sad eyes out of my head. Simply going back to a normal life after witnessing this would be so wrong. It would be against by moral code. It would be against my heart. I wanted to help.  
Jason’s expression became determined.  
“Then, how about this. You go to the settlement to tell them about the situation. Gain their trust so we can work together. We have to keep in mind that time is running for the kidnapped. My team and I will be investigating here.   
It’s a long trip until the monster city, so pack well. Call me when you’re there.”


	5. Partners in crime

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Borns-American Money  
> https://youtu.be/ABFz2Qag6Dw

The main hall of our university was deserted by scholars, who were either attending class or would rather work in the library.  
We were sitting on the steps of the main stairs, like we always do. Though my mind was way too agitated to study this time.

I woke up in a sweaty mess very late in the morning, legs tangled up in the covers of my bed, my mind clouded by blurry memories of nightmares.  
The sun rays shone through the blinds and illuminated the photos and posters covering my walls. I grounded myself as my shaky eyes observed the pictures of my friends and family.  
I knew I had plans to follow, but I found myself sticking to the same comforting routine I did every day, having a quick shower and breakfast before walking to the university in a rush. 

Papers were lying aimlessly on the floor next to me. I gave up on pretending to read my courses a while ago already.  
I stared at my friend, deep in thoughts. Probably long enough to be considered creepy by an outsider. But she didn’t seem to care or even notice it, as she kept reading the textbook, her finger slowly tracing the lines of the anatomical diagrams. She really was used to my akward behavior at this point and embraced it without batting an eye.

Rachel wasn’t someone I hanged out that much with within university. I only met her a few months ago after all. Her honest, outgoing and slightly rebellious attitude made her a quite popular student among others, always surrounded by friends. Yet despite our differences, we’ve learned to appreciate and support one another: being constantly around energetic and loud people sometimes made her feel like it was all too much, so I provided her calm and empathy. As for me, her laid back and care free presence eased my social anxiety. When she was around, I felt like I could let go of my worries.  
We did have a common interest though: our love for adventure. On some weekends, we would leave the city and go on a short road trip, hiking or exploring abandoned places. I remember night outs and speakers blasting music, climbing rooftops to get the perfect view... We both craved for adrenaline and emotions.

“Rachel”  
“What”  
_Take a deep breath in_  
“Something happened yesterday”  
“Please tell me you made a move on Hazel, dude. The wait is killing me”  
All the tension that built up until this point crashed in an instant as I smiled,  
“I wish”  
She glanced at me with amusement,  
“She told me she goes to that small underground club on saturdays. We should go there sometime”  
“Yeah...”  
“So, what happened yesterday then?”  
“I...”, I struggled to find the right words, “Rachel, I have to leave the city. And... I don’t think I can do this alone”  
“Wait what”  
She straightened her back as she closed her book, and furrowed her brows in confusion and concern.  
“Alice, what’s going on?”

I knew I could trust her. I admired her character. She saw the world with eyes unclouded by hate and bias. She judged people without prejudice but rather based on their own words and actions. She taught me times and times again to not judge people on their appearances, but on their hearts.  
Also, I wouldn’t have this journey another way than at her side.  
So I told her the whole story, from the witnessing to my late conversation with Jason at the police station. 

She looked into my eyes, at lost of words, a state I rarely ever saw her in. Rachel snapped out of it and delivered,  
“What the hell Alice”  
“Yeah”  
“How do you even find yourself in situations like that?”  
“I know. Please, are you in?”  
“Yes, of course I am. It’s just... hard to process”, she replied standing up.  
I shot back with a -slightly awkward- brave voice as I gathered my stuff and grabbed my backpack,  
“No time for that”  
She smirked at me,  
“Yeah, right”

We spent the rest of the afternoon shopping for necessities and packing our bags to prepare for the long trip.  
After eating a small meal in my kitchen, we were ready to leave. I spared a last glance at my apartment before locking the door and walking out of my building towards the train station, my stomach in knots.  
The streets were slowly emptying themselves, as the city fell asleep, leaving us alone with our ever growing nervousness, but also excitement, a feeling we couldn’t shake away despite the gravity of our mission.  
The stars were way up in the sky as we climbed on our train. All lights were out, so we struggle to find our seats. Soon, the wagons started moving. We settled in our chairs, watching the landscape passing by faster and faster, slowly dozing off as the convoy plunged into the night and the unknown.


	6. Passengers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> David Bowie-Heroes  
> https://youtu.be/z8uwxVhEmww

“We’re just a few minutes away from our destination. There, we’ll eat lunch wherever we can. At 4am, a tourist bus should take us to the Monster settlement.”  
I looked at the map, spreaded out on our two small tables, a nearly finished cereal bar in hand. Rachel, still half asleep, asked from the depth of her red leather seat,  
“How long does the bus drive last?”  
“6 hours”  
“Ughhhh”  
I playfully rolled my eyes and folded the map back into my backpack’s side pocket. I gazed outside as trees passed quickly by. The sky was a bright blue and the sun up in the firmament. My hand went against the glass, feeling the warmth of the daylight. I couldn’t help grinning at the beauty of the scenery; Alisville was a wonderful city, but it felt great to get out every now and then to explore the world. There was still so much to discover!

I heard a shuffle on my right as someone finally decided to wake up.  
“Feels good to be out of university, skip classes and all. But what about our midterms?”, she muttered.  
“Yeah... I don’t know”, I replied, biting my lips, “I still have no idea how long this whole thing will last. But to be honest, I think its importance exceeds our grades’”  
“If you say so... I guess we’ll have to improvise, like always”  
“Come on, we’ll probably be just fine. You and I don’t suck too bad at exams”, I laughed.  
She smiled at me and got up her seat to reach for her bag. 

Our railway carriage was nearly empty: there were five other passengers on board including a group of teenagers, a middle aged businesswoman typing on her cellphone and an ederly sleeping in the back. We packed our belongings and made our way through the middle alley to the doors, as the train started slowing down in a strident hiss.  
As we waited, one of the teen came up to us and chirped, her blond curls bouncing on her shoulders as she spoke,  
“Hi! I’m Ellen. It’s your first time coming here?”  
Rachel gleefully answered,  
“Yup. We’re trying to get to the Monster settlement. I’m Rachel, by the way. And this is Alice”, I waved, “You’re new to this place too?”  
“No, I live here”, she pointed to her two friends behind her, “we’re coming back from a small backpacking trip in the eastern mountains.  
I’ve never been to the settlement, must be cool! I imagine it’s like entering a new dimension”, she added with enthusiasm.  
Rachel grinned, then after a while, asked,  
“Hey, since our bus leaves in the afternoon, would you mind showing us the area? Maybe, eat lunch together?”  
Ellen beamed at us,  
“We’d love to!”

Our little group got off the train and headed out the station towards the city center. Whereas high buildings and work centers made up my home city, everything seemed smaller here. We walked by brick houses, an elegant library and the teenagers’ high school, little shops scattered across the busy main street.  
Ellen turned around and spoke out, pointing to a window.  
“I suggest we buy our food at the deli over there, they make the best pastas. Then we can eat on the hill, we’ll have a beautiful overview on the town!”  
One of her friends, she presented as Jake, added,  
“The field is for sheep, but who cares. Ellen, Marty and I often go there to spend time and chill out”  
“Seems sweet” I replied, while Rachel dragged her words in a deep voice,  
“ Yeaaaah, let’s break some rules”  
At the shop, we bought a big box of tagliatelle and salad for all of us. We then walked all the way up, having to jump over an electric fence at some point, reaching the top of the hill where a large tree we could sit against stood.

“So, why are you going to the Monster settlement? Curiosity maybe?”, asked Ellen while munching.  
I sighed and thought about how I could possibly answer that question, while Rachel’s voice teached the boys how to carve wood in the background.  
“Well... it’s complicated. Let’s say we have a very important meeting there”  
Her eyes expanded,  
“Are you some kind of politician?”  
“No, not at all”, I smiled, “just a messenger, if you will”  
Her grin widened as her eyes narrowed in a playful manner,  
“Secreeeets I see”, then giggling, she concluded, “well, I hope your meeting goes well and you enjoy your time there. I’ve been told that the city is quite impressive”  
Ellen’s kind words warmed my heart, so I thanked her. We spent the rest of our time bantering and having good laughs.

Before entering the bus, the teen grabbed my arm and asked a final question,  
“Hey, Marty and I are big fans of Mettaton. If you see him, tell him we say hi and he’s the best?”  
“I will, you have my word”  
She beamed, and after exchanging phone numbers, we parted ways and got on the bus.  
The ride was nearly full. Rachel and I made our way to the back, spotting two free seats next to each other. Shifting into a comfortable postition, I yawned, as Rachel untangled her ear buds,  
“Wake me up when we get there”  
“Yes ma’am”


	7. New World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lorn-Anvil  
> https://youtu.be/jtnpAkuYO2A

“Alice”

I felt a hand shaking my shoulder, rousing me out of my slumber. Groggily, I opened my eyes, meeting Rachel’s.  
“Uh wat”  
“We’re at the border, everybody must get off the bus”  
I straightened my back and looked through the window. It was dark outside and the bus was stationary in front of a border crossing, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Tall pine trees surrounded the road and towered over us as we left the vehicle, a cold breeze blowing on our necks. I felt my body shivering, the atmosphere seemed heavy and high strung.  
Men and women in uniforms instructed all the passengers to form a line, and slowly started to run security checks, one group at a time. Having sat at the back of the bus, we found ourselves waiting near the end of the line.  
“Well, I guess it’s happening. We’re meeting the monsters soon”, stated Rachel, grabbing my backpack as I handed it to her, allowing me to slip my favorite red ragg wool sweater on.  
“Yay, cheers to that”, I joked anxiously, knowing things will inevitably get complicated.

Our turn eventually came and we were lead inside, where an officer invited us to sit down. While they searched our bags, the man asked for our full names, our age, profession, the reason for our visit-to which we nervously answered “Tourism”, among other questions. I shared the name of the hotel I booked online the day before, and randomly chose 4 days as duration of our stay.  
“Thank you for your time, ladies. The settlement is at the end of the road. Have a good one”, he declared as we were given our bags back and shown the exit.

We walked in silence among the other people. Lights illuminated the night sky in the distance, but the road blocked our view as it kept going up. A dozens of minutes later, we arrived at its peak and our breath were taken away.  
The monster settlement revealed itself to be a futuristic city showcasing high buildings with glowing structures and large edifices I couldn’t figure out the functions yet. Although, it was late into the night, the city center seemed buzzing with activity. It reminded me of those sci-fi metropolises.  
Rachel whispered in awe,  
“How did they build all of this over the span of a single year? This is incredible”  
“I-I don’t know”  
Flabbergasted, we resumed walking as we approached the city edge.

It did feel like we were entering a whole new universe. Even after hearing so much about them and watching a few images on tv, seeing monsters in real life still felt like a huge shock. Creatures from all sizes, colors and appearances roamed the streets, some flying above our heads, others swimming in arranged water streams. A handful of ecstatic humans roamed besides them. Neon and colorful lights reflected on the metallic pavement and casted rainbowish shimmers on the gigantic facades. Shops and stores lined up at the bottom of the buildings. The place hummed with energy and life.  
We reached a large public square, where kids were playfully running around, noting that each one of them was wearing a green and yellow striped pullover. There, we just stood still, taking everything in.  
“We’re here.”  
“Yes we are”  
“What now?”  
Running my hand through my hair, I replied,  
“Guess we’ll have to search for some kind of city hall. Or a police station maybe? I don’t know, something that could lead us to an authority figure”

So we roamed in the streets, turning our gazes in every direction. I tried using internet but my phone showed no results, adding to my growing frustration.  
_What’d you expect idiot, a tripadvisor review?_  
We asked a monster about any government building in the city, but to no avail.  
I was on my way to ask a map to a shopkeeper when Rachel grabbed my sleeve,  
“Hey isn’t that a police officer over there?”  
I stared at the individual, noticing the uniform.  
“I guess...”  
“Look at his shirt, there’s some kind of badge”  
“You’re right. Sooo, should we, like, tell him directly the whole situation or demand to see his superiors?”  
“I don’t know, I mean, does it matter?”  
“Well we have to choose. I say we ask-“  
A loud voice suddenly bellowed behind our backs,  
“Need some help, punks?”  
We whirled around and found ourselves facing a huge fish monster wearing an uniform and an eyepatch. Her eye gleamed with threat, as she loomed over us, red hair flowing in the air. We instinctively tensed up and slightly backed away at the intimidation.  
Rachel chirped, “Hm hi!”  
I furrowed my brows to the obvious display of defiance and replied, gathering up my courage,  
“We do. Can you help?”  
Her single eye narrowed. I sighed,  
“Are you the police? I need to talk about a very urgent matter”  
The monster crossed her arms.  
“I’m Undyne, captain of the royal guard. Now, what kind of urgent matter are we talking about?”  
Rachel and I shared a glance.  
_This is it, Alice._

I breathed in and out, and replied,  
“Monsters being kidnapped. I saw two of them held as captives near my city, miles away from here”  
Undyne’s eye widened, shock written all over her features, before narrowing it again in suspicion.  
She yelled two names and shortly after, two monsters came by our sides. She then brought out her cellphone, quickly typed something and put it back in her pocket, glancing at Rachel and I.  
“Follow me”

She leaded the way to a large building. It wasn’t that different from the others, except the fact that officers were guarding the entrance. I gazed at the minimalist interior design and tall ceiling. All lamps in the building seemed out, the only source of light being the streetlights illuminating the hall through the large glass facade.  
I couldn’t help feeling anxious at the thought of being trapped with strangers in this place. We didn’t know much about monsters, and despite my efforts to not feel any different around them than around humans, my mind still tortured itself with horrible scenarios. 

After getting out of the elevator and crossing a hallway, we met with closed doors. Undyne dismissed the two monsters and spared a last look at us. She then proceeded to enter the room, as we followed her footsteps.

The King of monsters, sat grimly on the end of a large table. On the sides were the Queen, a skeleton, a lizard monster and a humanoid robot, as Undyne walked to her chair. All eyes were turned at us.


	8. Night in the woods

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Son Lux-Cage Of Bones  
> https://youtu.be/wz-N7psW3MY

It felt like I was standing in trial in front of deities and titans.  
King Asgore and his ex wife, Queen Toriel, who sat on his left side, dwarfed us from their tremendous height. Their white fur and horns contrasted with the colorful background, city lights and flares shining through the window, plunging their faces and bodies into shadows. Their presence emanated respect and wisdom, but also power.  
On his right side, Undyne, while not as imposing, still easily passed the 7 feet threshold and looked down at us, her eye glinting with defiance and threat.  
Beside her sat a short scaly monster, large circular glasses on her nose and a white lab coat draped on her shoulders, a name tag attached. Doctor Alphys. She seemed less confident than her adjacents but nonetheless radiated intellect and brainpower.  
A tall humanoid robot sat near her, a proud yet serious look on his features. Although most monsters were still stranger to us humans, Mettaton became a world phenomena and idol in no time, his charisma having conquered all medias and the hearts of many along the way.  
Finally, a skeleton was slumped on his chair, vivid glimmers in his eye sockets and a grin plastered on his face. He showed an indescriptible expression on his face.

_Well that’s not intimidating at all_

Asgore’s imposing and deep voice asked,  
“Welcome, humans. What are your names?”  
We told him politely, standing still and straight in front of the counsel.  
He nodded, and continued,  
“Undyne told us you know about the monster disappearings. Can you please tell us the whole narrative”  
Rachel glanced at me, slightly smiling to reassure me. I thanked her silently, sending a slight head movement, and spoke up. 

“It was two nights ago, about 600 miles east from here, near Alisville, where I live. I heard a pleading voice yelling while I drove through a forest road...”  
As I counted my story, I could feel their eyes burning and burning through me. 

“...So he sent me here to inform you, while he’s investigating with his colleagues.”  
While I regained my breath, I watched their reactions. Severity, some anger, and mostly suspicion as we feared.  
_Crap_  
Undyne objected,  
“How do we know you tell the truth?”  
Rachel took my defense instantly,  
“Come on, why would she make up such a story?”  
“Well you tell me”, retorted the captain with a narrowed eye.  
“I have photos. I can also give you the number of the police department of my city, they probably know more than me now. Please, if we don’t trust each other and start investigating together, who knows what will happen?”, I asked, as I handed my phone to them.  
Mettaton’s large mettalic hand swiftly took it from me. His delicate features shifted into a concentrated expression as he looked at the photo I snapped back in the forest.

His wide eyes went back to the counsel in an instant,  
“I recognize the two monsters! They were the teenagers gone missing 5 days ago”  
Mettaton passed my phone to doctor alphys, who took a boxy computer out of a bag and started typing away in less than a minute.  
I jumped as Undyne stood up, even more threatening,  
“AGAIN, how do we know we can trust you?”  
My anger was slowly raising at her stubbornness, and I was ready to snap back when a voice stated calmly,  
“they’re not lying”

All heads turned to the skeleton. I stared back at him and shivered at his blue eye glowing in the dark room.  
_Who are these people_  
He continued, his ominous gaze piercing through my rib cage,  
“her soul is telling the truth.”  
Everyone fell silent. I nervously crossed my arms in front of my chest as Rachel whispered to me,  
“What the fuck”  
“Well that’s convenient at least. good to know they have a living lie detector” I muttered.  
Asgore stood up.


	9. A New Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Glimpse-Until it falls apart  
> https://youtu.be/fdAtdYo3fwk

They wanted to speak privately between themselves.  
Undyne’s two officers came back and took us back to the corridor, where they simply took out their cellphones and started passing time. It was dark, the lamps were out. Flashes of light swept the walls through the window every now and then.

We waited. Minutes passed slowly, as Rachel and I drowsily rested again the walls, ass on the floor. Eventually, one of the officers got a text messenge and told us we could go sleep in our hotel. So we left the building, after giving them the address. I didn’t even processed the fact that they still had my phone.  
It was way past 3 in the morning when we fell on our hotel beds and drifted away.

Darkness 

Quiet

Cozy

Darkness

Sad eyes gazing at me  
Fading in the black  
Can’t reach them

Darkness 

Suddenly a flare  
“GOOD MORNING”  
My eyes shot open, as I instantly rose from my bed.  
Walls were a cream white and reflected the soft sunlight that shone through the open curtains. The room was fairly naked: a single desk, an armchair and two beds made up the space. And in the middle, Undyne stood proudly.  
Rachel glared at her, annoyed, dark bags under her green eyes.  
“That’s a lovely voice you got there captain”  
“Why, thank you”  
“Does sarcasm exist in the monster world?”  
“I sAID THANK YOU”

 _Fucking hell_  
I muttered under my breath, as threw my bare legs out of the covers. I stood up and crossed my arms.  
“What is this. Are we still under surveillance or something?”  
She shot an eyebrow up, smirking, and answered,  
“No, you’re not”, her face went serious, “Listen. We need to know everything you know about the kidnappers you saw. Sorry, for the loud awakening, but now that we finally have a lead, we have to start investigating as soon as we can”  
“So you did know about the disappearances”  
“Of course we did. We’re waiting downstairs, we’re taking care of the breakfast. Hurry up”  
At that, she walked out of the door.

“You know, despite all our differences and only meeting them yesterday-in the worst circonstances I may add, they seem open and friendly enough. I mean, Undyne acted all threatening and all, but as soon as she understood we’re on their side, she seems pretty chill as a person”, she smirked, “I like her style”  
I thought back to the monsters happily chatting and showing the human tourists around yesterday’s evening.  
“Well, a child did befriend and free them all. They’re probably not as judgmental as us”, I furrowed my brows, “at least until humans started abducting them. I’d understand if they were angry at our people”  
“Some people are saying humans may even be the cause of them being down there in the first place”  
Rachel slipped on a clean shirt and sighed, “Their bitterness towards us is more than justified. That being said,” she grinned at me while scrunching her red curly hair into a bun, “I want to show them that not every bit of humankind is rotten. In fact, that if you look past all the bullshit, you can find a real friend in those who are willing to support them.”  
A warm feeling blossomed in my chest as I smiled at my friend,  
“You’re the best. Come on, we should go”

We took the elevator down to the hall and met with Undyne and the skeleton monster. His posture was slightly slouching and his hands were stuffed in his blue hoodie. He didn’t look as sinistrous as yesterday. In fact, he looked tired, almost bored.  
“don’t think i’ve introduced myself yet. i’m Sans”  
“Nice to meet you”, I ran my hand through my hair, “...Thanks for yesterday, for convincing them that I wasn’t lying.”  
“no problem. that’s my job”  
He turned around and headed out of the hotel first.  
_Uh_  
Undyne motioned us forward,  
“Let’s go people, they are waiting us.”

The city didn’t look the same during the morning as it did during the night. It lost all of its colorful neons and lights; instead, the soft golden sky showed through the massive buildings, which looked even more impressive in daylight. The city wasn’t as busy as yesterday. A few monsters roamed the streets, some with a breakfast in hand, while they walked leisurely to work. A nice morning breeze blew on my neck, waking me up.  
Rachel spoke up, as we we were making our way back to the city center,  
“It’s so calm and relaxing, reminds me of my city. It doesn’t even feel like the same streets as last night’s”  
“Well it’s early in the morning. Wait an hour or two, the streets will get as busy as you’ve seen them. Not to mention all the human tourists, they’re probably sleeping right now since they like visiting late in the evening”  
“About that, how do you guys feel about humans visiting the city like a touristic destination?”  
“What do you want, curiosity,” Undyne replied while mindlessly watching two children wearing backpacks running and giggling, “it may be annoying, but the main issue isn’t about letting you in, but rather letting us out, since most of us are basically trapped here. In fact...”, she sternly looked at Rachel, “I’d rather have curious humans gawking at us than despicable ones kidnapping 6 young monsters during the night and, like, selling them on the fucking black market or something”  
_6?_  
Biting the inner of my mouth, I instinctively went closer to my friend who responded awkwardly,  
“Hm yeah, good point...”  
Sans stated with calm,  
“a bit harsh, Undyne. they’re helping us after all.”  
She stopped walking and sighed, eye closed. We all stood there, in the middle of the street. The tension was palpable. I glanced away with unease; two monsters were sitting and happily chatting in front of a purple bakery. The orange sunbeam reflected on one’s green scales, projecting a million lights around them. It seemed like a peaceful morning.  
“Why do you keep letting humans in? After all this trouble, it’d be fair to stop the visits, at least until you find out about the kidnappers”  
“we don’t get to choose, Alice. we’re not in charge of that decision, humans are. our job is to appear as cooperative and pacific as possible.”  
“Oh...”  
The silence settled back for a few seconds. Rachel and I started, as Undyne suddenly spoke up,  
“You’re trying to help us, I should be more grateful. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be aggressive.”  
Rachel replied, hesitant,  
“Don’t be, you have every right to be angry. Humankind seem to be keen on destruction wherever they go, your people don’t deserve all our nonsense”  
Undyne paused, then smiled apologetically,  
“Nah, you guys are okay.”

We all started walking again, the sun felt warmer and warmer on our skin as minutes passed by. Stores were beginning to open their doors, so Sans took the opportunity to buy all of us a quick breakfast before arriving at the council, while we waited outside.  
“I’m sorry for the cold introduction”, Rachel and I looked up from the strange and mesmerizing flowers growing along the walls of the building, “yesterday I mean. You know, as captain, I have to look out for any suspicious activity”, her hand went to the back oh her neck, “your bahaviors last night seemed pretty cryptic, so... I assumed you girls were bad news.”  
Rachel smirked,  
“Are we that dangerous looking?”  
“Don’t flatter yourself Ranch”, I shot out playfully.  
We jumped as Sans appeared out of thin air and spoke up grinning, while distributing cereal bars and ice coffee bottles in our hands,  
“don’t blame the fish, she likes asserting her authority whenever she can”  
“Did you just teleport”, stared Rachel.  
“hm. did i”  
My brain short circuited, trying to understand how that’d work with our conventional laws of physics. I then remembered that living monsters already broke the definition of reality as we knew it.  
Undyne rolled her eye and opened up her bottle as she explained,  
“Dangerous looking? _Please._  
You showed an unusual and prolonged interest in infrastructures and facilities, more than an average tourist that is. I heard you asking where are government and high-ranking facilities, and how to access them. At one point, you started stalking my patrol agents from afar.  
I consider that suspicious and cryptic behavior!”  
Rachel smiled sheepishly while I commented,  
“You followed us quite a while. The kidnappings really put everyone on edge, didn’t they?”  
“You have no idea”, Undyne looked away, as a shadow went over her gaze.


	10. Ripples in water

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ben Howard-Oats in the water  
> https://youtu.be/DaH4W1rY9us

We arrived at the main building. The two policemen ( _policemonsters?_ ) nodded at Undyne as we walked by. I finally finished munching on my breakfast as we entered the hall.  
The elevator’s doors opened on the same level as the night before. The king and queen were most probably inside, waiting for us. All the anxiety I felt then came back in a blast.  
A nervous Rachel placed a hand on my shoulder, grounding both of us.  
“don’t get so worried”, Sans looked at us in reassurance, “i’m sure everything will be alright”  
“You’re not coming?”, I wondered.  
“no, i have to take care of Frisk with my bro today. Toriel’s words.”  
_Oh, Frisk, the child who freed the monsters. Forgot about them_  
“don’t worry Alice, they now trust you. we count on you.”  
He then disappeared from our sight.  
Undyne entered the room with us on her tail.

—————

The picture was pinned at the center of the board, surrounded by photos and names involved in the investigation.  
M o n t g o m e r y  
The name was incredibly common, Jason even thought it could be some sort of codename used by the organization to blur their identity. Well, guess they slipped up.  
Miles away from the monster settlement, Jason sipped some coffee and glanced out the window of the police station.  
It was a nice day, peaceful as always. The weather was getting warmer every day passing by, a welcomed change after the harsh winter they faced. People got out more often to go on a walk, the trees were a vibrant green, cars were less present on the roads.  
It’s been 3 days since he last saw Alice in his office and made the decision to take the case with his team. It already seemed like weeks ago.  
Jason rotated his chair back towards the station’s main room, where he could see one of his colleagues talking to 4 students.  
“I’ll just give you a warning, okay? I know it’s a nice view, but you can’t just go on the university’s roof, they forbid it, which is why they have the right to call the police on you. It’s the law. Okay, you can go”  
The young adults walked away with a grin as Jason approached the weary officer,  
“You should get some sleep, Keith, you’ve been up all night.”  
“You too. I’m alright”, he dismissed with a hand gesture, “so, how’s the guy doing?”  
“He’s not very polite.”  
“What’s the matter, the cell isn’t comfortable enough?”  
Jason smirked and sat on a nearby stool as he threw the empty cup in a bin.

“Montgomery spat the names of the 2 other suspects in less than a heartbeat. Says, if he gets caught, then they will go down with him.”  
“Damn. Loyalty is hard to find these days”  
“Don’t tell me. We’re still searching them though, they’re harder to catch. The guy himself doesn’t know a lot on them apart from their first names. They don’t appear to have any criminal record like M.  
According to his words, there’s this new organization they call the Hub, who hires people to kidnap monsters. They give them all the materials and papers they need to enter the settlement. One of the soldier at the border, no name of course, is in league with them apparently, fuck that by the way,” Jason sighed, “That’s bad news. Then when the job is done, the goons are supposed to bring the monsters to the Hub. M has no knowledge of any member’s real name, of course. Only that the monsters are sold at private buyers who are willing to pay a hell lot of money for it. We’re currently trying to find any trace of that Hub”  
“Welp. Looks like it progresses faster when I’m not around. Maybe I should take a nap, you’ll probably find that organization before I’m awake”  
Jason laughed,  
“Don’t be so hard on yourself man. We’re a team, who else would play good cop and bring the tea otherwise ?”  
“That didn’t work on him at all”, mumbled Keith.  
His friend smiled,  
“Come on, Carina, Dave and I are taking a smoke break outside. Wanna come?”

The two officers were headed outside when Jason’s cellphone started ringing. His brows shot up at the name displayed on his screen,  
“Alice! Are you okay?”  
“Wow Jason, I’m fine. I did it, I’m in the monster settlement with their council. I explained everything to them. They... they believe us, and now, they’re ready to work with us. How about we video call?”


	11. Tell me about the Sun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lights On-I, The Sun  
> https://youtu.be/5QLp7IRCXzI

“Alice, why didn’t you send me a message when you entered? We talked about that yesterday!”  
Asgore and Toriel had blank faces, as they watched me from the other end of the table.  
“Hm I forgot, and then I left my phone to Dr Alphys, who needed it to transfer the photos to her computer, and then I forgot to take it back”  
“Classic”, muttered Rachel.  
Alphys’ voice rose up with hesitance on my right,  
“I-I didn’t want to answer the calls without Alice’s p-permission”  
“Anyway”, I looked at Jason’s tired eyes and short beard, worried about his health, “here we are”  
I looked back up towards the royal figures and placed my laptop wired to my phone on the table, in front of the whole council. I confidently stated to the monsters,  
“This is Jason and his team back in Alisville. They’ve been on the case for a few days now”  
Asgore nodded,  
“Greetings officer. We all thank you for your involvement. Please, tell us about your findings.”

The meeting lasted hours. Alphys and Jason’s team shared their data back and forth, while Asgore and Toriel listened with attention, sometimes joining the conversation when it came to more political matters. Mettaton was helping Alphys, and typed away on her computer as the doctor talked, her stutter having completely disappeared.  
At some point, Undyne poked on Rachel’s and I shoulders, and motionned us to follow her out and into a new room resembling a small kitchen.  
I closed the door behind me,  
“Wow. So that’s what being useless feels like.”  
Undyne shrugged,  
“Don’t sweat it. We all have a part in this, this is just not our own”  
She proceeded to open the fridge and bring out some tomatoes.  
“Our job right now, is to feed the people. Let’s make some tomato spaghetti!”  
I reached for the cupboard.  
“Need some help? I can cook the pasta”, I then joked, “I promise I won’t burn the stove”  
“Oh that’s okay, I myself burned my kitchen quite a few times”  
“Okay. No. I’m definitely helping you.”

We finished our plates bantering with Undyne back and forth about our different ways of life.  
I shook my head in disbelief,  
“I can’t believe you guys only have 2 music producers here, and are unable to listen to human songs. That’s cruel”  
“We should show you some time. One day, we’ll bring you on one of our night rides, Undyne”, Rachel added enthusiasticly, “High speed, blasting music, hair in the wind. Nothing feels more cinematic and exhilarating than that!”  
Her eyebrow raised with a smirk,  
“You girls know I’m in the police, right?”  
“Oh come on, you know you want it”  
I laughed a bit and looked outside the glass wall. Everyone seemed so tiny from up here.  
“You know”, Undyne twirled her glass in her hand, “it’s nice speaking to humans for once. That is, humans besides Frisk”  
Rachel replied with a small hint of worry,  
“Why don’t you get to?”  
“Well, humans come here to visit, not settle or make friendships. And even if they tried, I heard they’re not allowed to stay more than a week. Your army makes sure of that. Sad, I guess, that it comes to this for me finally bonding with your kind. Yet we’ve been on the surface for already a year”  
“I didn’t know our authorities tried that hard to keep us apart”, I commented with a frown.  
Rachel asked,  
“Are you really trapped here? Is there no way for you to step outside of the settlement?”  
“... Most of us are trapped, yeah. Mettaton, somehow, is allowed to go out to perform and have interviews. For political meetings, Asgore and Toriel will also leave the settlement, only accompanied by human guards. And that’s it”  
“Damn that sucks”  
“You said it”  


There was a short pause in our conversation, allowing us to wash our plates. Fresh water ran down my hands while I scrubbed the sauce off. I changed the subject,  
“So, can Sans read our emotions or something? What’s up with him constantly knowing when we lie or how we feel”, I asked.  
Undyne replied with amusement,  
“Yeah, kind of. He can read souls if I remember correctly, pretty cool trick. Don’t try and play poker with him”  
I thought about that as Rachel booed behind me.  
We knew monsters were to some extent, “magical”. But magical abilities such as empathy and teleportation didn’t even come to my mind. I wondered how the world would react if that came out to the public eye.  
“So you monsters have powers of some sort right? That’s nice.”  
Her single eye wavered in uncertainty. Maybe she wasn’t supposed to share that with us.  
Remorseful, I was about to apologize, when she said with a hesitant voice,  
“Some of us have, yes. I can materialize spears and throw them”  
I smiled,  
“That’s so metal!”  
“Yeah literally”, Rachel snickered.  
Undyne deadpanned,  
“... it’s not metal, it’s magic”  
“ _Spear_ me the details, hehehe... wait did I do something bad, why are you narrowing you eye like that”  
Undyne scrutinized her with a judgemental look on her face,  
“You’re the funny type, huh...”  
_Oh you wish you didn’t say that_  
I grinned, already knowing what Rachel was about to say, as her eyes batted like butterflies,  
“Well is it your type, sunshine?”  
“GET LOST”  
Undyne stormed off, blushing like a mad man. I high-fived a giggling Rachel,  
“You broke her”  
“I’m proud”  
“I’m pretty sure doctor Alphys is her girlfriend, I’ve caught them holding hands a couple of times”  
“Even better”  
“You’re getting murdered in your sleep tonight, a magic spear right through the heart”  
“What a blast”


	12. Let’s get to work

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Riverine-Backwards Charm  
> https://youtu.be/AJZPo6VpqkU

We entered the conference room.  
Mettaton seemed to have left. Alphys was packing up her bag with Undyne’s help, while Asgore and Toriel were finishing talking future plans with Alisville’s police.   
“We’ll tell Alice if something comes up. Otherwise, we’ll be video calling each other in two days. Stay safe”  
“Of course, officer. We thank you again for all your work”, responded Toried with a kind smile.  
“We’re glad to help.”

The royal couple exited the room after a grateful nod in our direction. I walked to my laptop and smiled to Jason,  
“Hey, props to you. You’ve worked and found some much in so little time. That’s really impressive”  
“Doing our job”  
“So, what should I do, now that the message is shared?”  
“Stay with them, you’ll be our middleman. For some reasons, the army refuses the monsters any satellite internet or network mobile access. So your phone is our only way to reach you. Well, that and now your friend’s number too”, Rachel made an ok sign from where she stood by the doors, “it’ll be easier to act if we have one of us on the spot anyway”  
“Yes sir”  
He smiled back at me,  
“We could hear the captain’s scream on the microphone”, I chuckled, “You seem to get along with the monsters.   
I’ve added you on my team’s group chat so you can follow the updates of the investigation. Be careful, the Hub probably knows someone are on their tail since we’ve locked up one of their workers. Still, they may continue their activites at the monster settlement.”  
Undyne joined me on screen,  
“About that, I wanted to speak about their methods of kidnapping”

“No problem. According to M, they aim for small-sized and unthreatening monster. They know that the forest is devoid of surveillance cameras, so they wait for their victims to enter alone, than knock them off and capture them. One of the army soldier garding the border lets them go past a military border post. We don’t know much about that since he was in the car’s trunk during that moment apparently”  
“We could warn the population not to enter or walk near the woods through our social platform, the Hub shouldn’t be able to learn that from here. My patrols will be constantly watching the edge of forest. Maybe next time they show up, we’ll get to confront them”  
Jason nodded,  
“That’s a great idea. You’ll prevent any more kidnappings on your side, while we go after the Hub”  
Undyne nodded back,  
“You got it comrade”  
She left the room to catch up with Alphys.  
“Well, good luck to all of you”  
“Stay safe Alice”  
I ended the video call, packed my laptop and finally joined Rachel, leaning against the door frame.  
“I’m here, let’s go”  
She smirked.  
“He’s cute”  
“Just walk, Ranch”


	13. Meet my friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brillion-Drowsy  
> https://youtu.be/mZIo4z3sTq0

Undyne had to leave to go brief her agents on the situation and let them know about the new plan of action.  
Alphys waved her hand at us as she spoke,  
“Come on. I’ll give you a new phone so you can communicate with us. We’ll have to s-stop by my lab”  
“That’s cool! Alice and I are medical students, so we get to visit the biology labatory often while working at the hospital. We’re pretty familiar”

We followed her as she walked away from the city center. The buildings were getting shorter and less futuristic as we progressed, glass facades became colorful concrete while the metallic floor transformed into simple roads. It wasn’t as busy, and the overall atmosphere seemed quieter.  
Alphys lead us into a white building, a bit isolated from the rest of the neighborhood. Upon entering the desert lab, she switched on the light and went straight to a drawer. While she shuffled through her stuff, I asked,  
“You work alone?”  
“M-mostly yes. But I get to work and collaborate with other scientists from times to t-times. We each have an office here”  
I looked around, noticing the complex machines,  
“What do you do?”  
“A lot of engineering and electronics. Some monster biology. It’s not t-that interesting”  
“I bet it is. That sounds fascinating”  
Rachel chimed in, “I second that”  
Alphys looked away with embarrassment, a small smile on her face, as she handed me a boxy cellphone,  
“Here you g-go. All the c-contacts you’ll need are already inside”  
“Thank you”  
“Don’t mention it”

As we exited the building, loud steps caught our attention.  
A young child was running towards us, their purple sweater tied around their waist trailing in the wind behind them.  
“Frisk! What are you d-doing here?”  
Sans appeared next to us, startling Rachel and I once more,  
“the kiddo learned you were at the lab, so they escaped my grasp and ran to meet you”  
Frisk rushed towards Alphys and went into a big hug, a wide smile on their lips. I stuffed my hands in my pocket, as I was a bit uncomfortable around small children. Rachel pointed out to Sans,  
“You can teleport. What do you mean you couldn’t catch them”  
“too much effort”  
“And you’re telling me Queen Toriel trusts you with her child?”, she replied with a deadpanned face.  
“what can i say, i’m a _solid guy_ ”  
She smiled sarcastically,  
“A _grate_ caretaker”  
“the best baby _satire_ in town”  
The child giggled silently at their exchange and turned to me. They signed greetings in Asl, and as Alphys was about to translate it, I wiped my hands out and responded with a small grin,  
G l a d t o m e e t y o u!  
M y n a m e A L I C E, h e r s R A C H E L.  
“you can sign?”  
My friend answered,  
“Yeah, she takes classes. It’s useful when you meet deaf or mute patients. She taught me some”

Frisk seemed very glad about it. They then grabbed our forearms and dragged us through the street, in direction of the residential part of the settlement. Rachel smirked at the kid while I looked back at Alphys, as she was returning in her lab,  
“Thanks again for the phone!”  
She waved at us and disappeared inside.  
I readjusted my hand to hold Frisk’s, and asked Sans who was strolling with leisure behind us,  
“Where are we going? Should we be here?”  
“kiddo heard about the humans on a secret mission befriending their own friends. they want you to meet the rest of the group”  
“Oh”, I remembered his words, “like your brother, right?”  
Rachel shrugged her shoulders,  
“Not like we have better things to do anyway. We’re not detectives, hackers or something”  
I bit my lip with frustration, knowing she was right.  
What else can we do, we’re just simple students. Let the investigation to those who know their jobs  
“Yeah, I guess”

“WOWIE, I’M SO GLAD WE HAVE GUESTS! HUMANS GUESTS EVEN! YOU’VE NEVER INVITED FELLOW HUMANS TO YOUR HOUSE BEFORE, LITTLE HUMAN”  
His enthusiasm stopped to a halt, as he realized something,  
“WAIT, AREN’T WE FORBIDDEN TO?”, he suddenly looked worried and brought his gloved hands to his mouth, fearful, “WHAT WOULD QUEEN TORIEL THINK ABOUT THIS?”  
His feature softened,  
“NONSENSE. FRIENDS ARE ALWAYS WELCOMED. COME IN!”  
My mouth was freezed in an uncomfortable smile as beads of sweat formed on my forehead. I had tried to get myself used to social and loud conversation settings accross the years, without leaving with no explanation or having a meltdown, and I even thought I was pretty decent at it now that I had grown into a reasonable adult, with true friends who cared about me and I cared about.  
But nothing prepared me for that loving bubbly super energetic screaming calcified stranger.  
“I’LL INTRODUCE MYSELF! I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS, MEMBER OF THE ROYAL GUARD! NYEHEHE, IT FEELS GREAT TO SAY THAT OUT LOUD!”  
_What to say what to do  
Why am I like this_  
His red scarf was enveloped in blue light as it floated softly, as if in the wind. Rachel’s brow raised and glanced at Sans, proudly grinning at his brother, his eye dimly glowing.  
“I WAS JUST MAKING SOME SPAGHETTI WITH TOMATO MEATBALLS FOR SNACK. I CAN’T WAIT FOR YOU TO TASTE THEM!”  
“ _meat_ too bro”  
“AHH NO NO NO. YOUR HORRIBLE PUNS WILL DRIVE THEM AWAY”  
“don’t say that, it won’t hap _penne_ ”  
“I’M LEAVING”  
Rachel commented,  
“Not bad”  
She followed Papyrus in the kitchen and looked the counters smeared in tomato paste with amusement,  
“Did Undyne teach you how to cook?”  
“HOW DID YOU KNOW? DO YOU HAVE SOME KIND OF PSYCHIC ABILITIES?”  
“I can see some... resemblance in your way of approaching gastronomy”  
“WHY THANK YOU!”

Meanwhile, I awkwardly joined Frisk on the couch as they grabbed paper and a pencil on the coffee table and scribbled sentences.  
Queen Toriel’s house was spacious and incredibly cozy. The furniture followed a red and wooden theme. A fireplace adorned with family pictures and plants stood in the middle of the living room. She had a beautiful antique bookshelf, and I noticed that a good amount of the books were about medecine, both human and monster.  
I asked Sans, who popped up on the armchair,  
“Is Queen Toriel a doctor? Why all the medical books?”  
“she masters green magic, which heals both monsters and humans. it’s a rare ability, it took her thousands of year to learn it. but she’s still curious about human medecine, especially because of Frisk”  
“That’s... that’s amazing! How does that work?”  
He let himself sink in the cushions, as he elaborated,  
“every monster is partially made of green magic, it’s what makes us able to restore our health when facing a disease or a wound. Tori manages to channel that energy, amplify it and redirect it to the individual in need.  
if you want to learn more about magic, you should hang out with Alphys at the lab. she studies souls and wrote a lot of brilliant works herself. she found a way to isolate magic in a more... scientifical approach. i bet you’ll love it”  
“You seem to know a great deal about that stuff too”  
“i occasionally work at the lab. but i’m more of a physics type of-“

Frisk grabbed my arm and pointed towards the staircase, a folded paper in their back pocket. Then, they began pulling on my sweater.  
I smiled at the child’s antics and stood up to follow them,  
“Looks like the conversation’s over”  
“kiddo, you’re being rude. i was talking to the nice lady”  
They came to a halt in the stairs, stuck out their tongue at him and ran with a wide grin as they dragged me into their bedroom. We heard Sans speaking loudly from the living room,  
“you won’t get away with this!”  


_Silence_   


Rachel’s and Papyrus’ heads emerged from the kitchen.  
“I think they just did”  
“YOU DIDN’T EVEN MOVE SANS”


	14. Frisky business

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dead Man’s Bones-Lose your soul  
> https://youtu.be/rnEkboR86h0

Alice observed my drawings on the walls of my bedroom as I closed the door behind me.  
“Are these buttercups? It’s really pretty”  
_Wow she’s going straight for the personnal stuff isn’t she_  
I climbed on my yellow covers and scrutinized her. Her dark eyes looked back with confusion and awkwardness. 

I didn’t understand where she came from. Rachel and Alice never appeared in any other timelines. Where did she stood in the chains of events? I thought back to all the years that went through.

The Underground was just the first phase. Back then, I’d never thought it’d be such a pain to survive on the surface after all we’d been through. Guess I was wrong.  
The first timelines were the most horrible ones. Make a wrong move and it’s over. I had to learn fast.  
I learned quickly that Papyrus had to be prevented from enthusiastically entering human society alone. Fear and panic flared up and before you knew it, a city blazed in flames at the wrath of a sorrowful blue eyed skeleton, who then pleaded in my arms to rewind time.

Do not let the humans know about the fallen children, or the fact that the monsters tried to kill me in the Underground. 

Do not let the humans take me to a foster home. Tensions rose so fast I didn’t even have time to pass past the new front porch as a conflict already started.

Sign the treaties, even if it means locking up the monsters between walls.

Gaster is still haunting the Underground and terrorizing human visitors. Strike a deal with him in the Void while being between two timelines.

Stop the group of 3 monster teenagers from trying to jump over the border. Their deaths will be diffused, monsters will protest, close the gates. Soldiers invade our city during the night.

Let the humans visit, but do not let them too much access to monster food. They’ll just poison themselves and riots will enter the settlement.

Don’t eat the candy lying on the street. You’ll get sick. Mom will take care of you and dismiss her classes. One of her students, in boredom, will throw a paper plane from the window of their mom’s office at the highest building of the city center. It’ll lend at the high speed of 70mph right in the eye of a tourist who will then cry for help. A monster comes to assist him, and as human soldiers run to see, they shoot the monster thinking it’s an assault. Deaths ensue, protests, deaths, more deaths. Suddenly, the whole settlement blows up.  
_How the heck was that even possible_

“Frisk, are you okay?”  
_Oh right_  
I hesitated a bit, then signed,  
N o t t e l l m o m  
“You have my word”  
I handed her the paper I wrote downstairs.

[I want to know more about the kidnappings. How are you connected to them? How is the investigation progressing right now?]

Alice looked at me with surprise, contemplated for a moment, and answered,  
“I accidentally came accross two kidnapped monsters with their captors, miles from here. So I came here to inform your parents”

So that was why.  
During the last timeline, they “only” managed to kidnap monsters one by one.  
The butterfly effect was incredibly unpredictable. Somehow my actions lead to this new path.  
_Two monsters gone in a single night_  
A d l a n S h o n a

“What was that?”  
I repeated their names, slower, than added the signs “you” “see”.  
“Oh... so that’s their names... One of them had beautiful blue and green eyes”, I signed A for Adlan, “I can’t seem to get them out of my head”  
She glanced away, but recovered in an instant.  
“The kidnappings seem to be linked to this new criminal organization, the Hub. We think it was created about 1 month ago, when the disappearances started. According to one of the captors, Montgomery, who was found by the police, they prey for small monsters wandering alone at the edge of the woods. Then, the Hub gets a hold on them and... sells them to buyers”  
We never knew that much in the past. Maybe this time, we could make this right. There had to be way.  
For Mom and Dad. For Sans, Pap, Undyne, Alphys. For Adlan, Shona and all my other friends captured in their dirty hands. 

Somewhere, Asriel and Chara were counting on me.

—————

Frisk nodded, deep in thoughts. 

This kid was an enigma. So many mysteries surrounded them, a lot of rumors circulated from mouth to ear accross the country. How could such a small child save the Underground by themselves?  
Nobody knew what truly happened before they came out with the monsters on their tail. But everybody could figure out how they found themselves down there in the first place.  
Despite their young age, they obviously went through a lot. They weren’t your average middle schooler. They felt responsible for the people they saved and as the only human in their community, they played an important symbolic role. They seemed mature enough.  
Which is why I decided to answer their questions.  
_God I hope Queen Toriel doesn’t mind_

They wrote a new sentence,

[How’s the climate on the outside world?]

“That’s a tough one... Everybody knows there are some tensions between our governments, as always when facing a minority or something we don’t understand. But I felt we were still okay you know; in my hometown, not a single person speaks a bad word about monsters. However the more I learn about how the army treats you here, the less I seem to know about our government’s true motives”  
They closed their eyes. I could hear the gears in their head working.  
I felt for the kid. They had to grow so fast. Soon, they gazed solemnly back at me and had a smale reassuring smile. They signed,  
B e c a r e f u l

They jumped out of their bed and motioned me to join the others downstairs. As I crossed the doorframe in front of them, I ruffled their short bob with a smile,  
“Don’t put so much pressure on yourself Frisk. You’re not alone”  
They narrowed their eyes in a playful manner,  
A n d y o u s h o u l d n o t b e s h y a r o u n d P A P Y R U S  
H e i s r e a l l y t h e c o o l e s t  
I cringed, realizing that even the kid caught on my social awkwardness,  
“Of course, I’ll try”

They hopped down the steps two by two as I followed behind them.  
_They are something else_


End file.
